The Greatest Man I Never Knew
by Nadja Lee
Summary: A 'what if?' story set just after Jean's return from the 'dead' after the Phoenix Saga. Jean meets Scott again but finds he has married...and to no one she would ever have guessed...


The Greatest Man I Never Knew

By Nadja Lee

Published: 28/01/01  
English is not my native language. Please forgive me my mistakes.  
Disclaimer: "X-men" and all the characters here belong to Marvel , 20 Century Fox and I intend no infringement,   
this is a piece of amateur fan fiction, and I make no money of it.  
Only the original idea contained within this work is the property of the author. Please do not copy this story to any   
website or archive without permission of the author.  
Timeline: Set right after Jean's resurrection from the Phoenix Saga. Note that it is set later than in the comics.  
Universe: Set in the comic universe.  
Pairing: Scott/Jean, Scott/Ororo  
Summary: Jean meets Scott again but finds he has married...and to no one she would ever have guessed..  
Archiving: Want, ASK, take, have.  
Feedback: Yes, please.  My e-mail address is neh@post10.tele.dk   
Rating: PG  
Dedicated to: Helene, Julia, Jemi, April and Jaguarita. Thanks for your kindness and friendship.  
Thanks to Christina for the Beta.  
For Christina with thanks. Enjoy!  
Note: This is a " What If." story based on the question " What if Scott had married someone else than Madelyne?"  
*mmmm * is telepathically thoughts spoken in the mind. " mmmmm " is spoken out loud.

Part 1:

I can hardly wait. It has been so long since I have last seen him. Well, at least that is what I'm told. To me it feels like yesterday. But it wasn't yesterday. A lot have changed. I felt it in Warren even though he didn't say anything. When I asked about Scott he was also very…vague in his replies. He said that he had had difficulties getting a hold of Scott. That sounds strange. He almost never leaves the mansion and he lives for Xavier's dream. Where could he be if not there? What is even more strange is that Warren told me to meet Scott here...in an amusement park of all things. Scott has never been a man to take anything lightly. What would he be doing in an amusement park?  
As I sit here on a bench beneath a big tree, a carrousel close by and children everywhere I think of him. Scott. The man I love. The man I have always loved from the first moment I saw him. He is brave and kind yet silent and strong. He can be very hard to get to know and he rarely opens up. I should know. It took us forever to get together. Well, maybe not forever but close to it. I look at the children again, smiling in the sunlight and I wish I had some. Kids, I mean. I have always loved children and I know Scott do too. When we are married I hope we get many children. I would love a little girl with red hair and all. I think we should name her Rachel. And a boy. We should have a boy as well. Scott will probably name him Charles, I imagine. He really cares so deeply for him. He may not say it in so many words but he cares for all on the team. Also the new team of course. I wonder where they are now. Scott is still leading them, I would think. He is the born leader and takes that responsibility heavily upon himself. Thinking of the new team...I miss Ororo. It was nice to have someone my age and not to mention finally another woman to talk to. She was always very kind and I know that both Scott and I came to value her highly as a friend and family because she truly was like a sister to me.  
  
  
**Part 2:**   
Suddenly I see him, walking towards me and smiling broadly. I quickly get up and run to him. My heart is beating wildly in my chest as I run to the man I love. He smiles and laughs and picks me up and spins me around. He puts me back on the ground again and kisses my cheek. I'm a bit disappointed that he doesn't kiss my lips but Scott always was very shy and it has been a long time. I try and scan him but decide against it. It would be to invade on his privacy and I don't need telepathy to tell me that Scott is glowing with happiness. He is smiling and laughing and holding my hands.  
"Jean, you are back. This is unbelievable. It's …amazing," Scott says softly and caresses my cheek. I smile and nod.  
" Yes, I'm back. I...," I begin and want to tell him all about how I feel, how much I love him and how much I regret those years where we were apart. I want him to understand that I love him more than anything on this world and that I want to marry him and bear his children...our children.  
" I know. Warren told me all about your ordeal," Scott says and breaks me off. His eyes are as covered as always but I can clearly hear the pain and sorrow in his voice. Strange that I remember him being much more...emotionally controlled. Then again he was never really cold with me and it has been a long while.  
" It wasn't your fault," I say, knowing what he is thinking. Scott has always done that. Blaming himself for any and all failings ever done.  
" I know but…I still wish I could have saved you from that pain," he admits and gives me a small smile. I give him a half smile. I don't remember him being so…sure of himself and his decisions so soon. I remember that after Logan came I often had to reassure him of my love. However I'm way too happy standing here in the sunlight with my one true love to care.  
I look behind Scott and see Ororo walking up to us, smiling brilliantly. She wears a simple but very beautiful white dress. She looks as stunning as ever.  
" Jean! You are back. Scott and I were so happy when Warren phoned us," Ororo says happily and hugs me close and I hug her back.  
" I have missed you so," I whisper as we draw apart.  
" And I you, my friend," Ororo says as she walks over to stand by Scott's right side and Scott smile down to her.  
" I have missed you too, Jean. Very much. Those first months after your 'death'…If Ororo hadn't been there for me I don't know what I would have done. Probably left the team or something," Scott says and lays his right hand around Ororo's shoulder and they smile at each other. I smile too. I'm glad they have become so good friends.  
" Won't you have lunch with us? We sit right over here," Ororo says and I nod, going with them to their table. I notice another half empty plate besides Ororo's and Scott's on the table, a few French Fries still left. Ororo and Scott sit on one side of the table and I'm forced to sit opposite Scott. A grim suspicion is beginning to enter my mind but I push it away. Of course Scott still loves me. I know he does. I felt it as he saw me. I saw it in his smile.  
" So, what happened while I was away?" I ask as we eat lunch, having exchanged the usual; "How do you feel?", " I'm sorry" and " I have missed you"'s. Ororo and Scott look at each other and then at me.  
" You mean no one have told you?" Scott asks surprised.  
" Well...no," I admit and wonders what exactly have happened.  
" You know of the Phoenix?" Ororo asks and I nod. That part was a little hard to miss.  
" As you know Jea...Phoenix died on the moon. It really broke me. I thought I should die. I wanted to die," Scott says softly and I can hear pain in his voice. I lay a hand above his and smile.  
" I'm not dead," I reassure him and he smiles.  
" No, you aren't," Scott says and gives my hand a gentle squeeze before removing it. I must have looked puzzled because Ororo continues Scott's tale.  
" As Scott said before then I helped him through your...Phoenix's death. It had been a very traumatic experience for us all but Scott most of all as he had seen her die. There had been no doubt in any ones minds that Jean Grey had died," Ororo tries to tell this gently but it is strange and a bit creepy to hear people tell that they thought you dead above any shadow of a doubt while you are sitting right next to them.  
" Ororo and I helped each other through it and we grew closer. I learned that my father was still alive.." Scott continues and I am amazed. I vaguely recall the Phoenix knowing this but I, Jean Grey, did not. That really was wonderful news. Scott has always wished for a big family and now it seemed to have grown.  
" We visited Scott's grandparents together with his father and brother," Ororo says and smiles at me.  
" While there we met a woman named Madelyne who looked very much like you," Scott says and looks at me. I notice the flicker of pain is back and I try to smile reassuringly to him. My "death" most really have been hard for him.  
" I so wanted to believe she was you in some way," Scott explains and Ororo takes his left hand and holds it with a smile. He looks at her and his voice become soft.  
" Ororo helped me. Yet again. Made me accept that you truly was gone and that I had to let you rest in peace," Scott explains and I nod. What else can I do?  
" Daddy. Daddy. Can I take another round on the carrousel. Please, Daddy?" a small boy comes running and asks. First I think he most mean someone else but he runs directly to Scott and Scott picks him up to sit on his lap. The boy is very pretty with brown hair like Scott's but blue eyes like Alex. His skin is light brown or golden as when one is long in the sun and I figure he most be running outside playing a lot.  
" Okay, Nathan, but first say halloo to Jean. She is a very special friend of your mother and me," Scott explains and as in slow motion I let the four-year-old shake my hand before he runs off again. I look from Ororo to Scott.  
" Yes, he is my son and no I didn't have him before we met. Apocalypse poisoned him and well, bottom line is that to save him we had to send him to the future but luckily we were able to get him back as soon as he had been cured. For Ororo and me, he had only been gone for a few minutes but he left as an infant and came back like you see him now, a four year old," Scott explains but his explanation doesn't help much. I have never heard of this Apocalypse but he is evidently some evil guy. Great, just want we need. More bad guys.  
" Jean, we need to tell you that..," Ororo begins but a cry from a baby carriage standing close to our table distracts her and she goes to it. I look to Scott, hoping he can make sense in all this.  
" Nathan isn't an only child. He has a twin. A sister. We named her Rachel Jean Ann Summers," Scott says as Ororo have lifted a tiny bundle up in her arms and walks to the table, rocking the baby gently.  
" Say halloo to Jean," Scott says softly as he lets the small girl catch his finger and she puts it in her month. I lean over and look at the small child. She most be very young. She has no hair yet but by the colour of the small baby hair it seems to be white. Her skin is a fair brown, a little softer than Ororo's light brown colour. She opens her eyes and looks at me with brown eyes. Scott's brown eyes. I sit down again.  
" Isn't she wonderful?" Ororo asks with a mother's pride and I smile and nod, agreeing.  
" Jean, I thought Warren had told you but since he apparently hasn't...Jean, I'll like you to meet my wife, Ororo," Scott says proudly and smiles at me.  
" W…wife?" I get out. What is happening here? This wasn't how I had imagined our first meeting would go.  
" Yes, wife. Scott and I married more than a year after your…'death'," Ororo explains as she gives the small girl something to eat.  
" I...I'm very happy for you," I force out. Well, in a way I am. If I'm not to be with Scott, I'll rather a friend is than someone I have never met. But...I love him. I miss him. I want him. Scott lean over and catches my hand.  
" Jean, you'll always mean a lot to me and a part of me will always love you but I moved on. I had to. I learned to live again. To love again. I hope you can understand," Scott says and I can hear love, sadness and almost pleading in his voice.  
" I do understand," I say and find that that's the hard part. I understand and I don't like it. It is so much easier to condemn when you don't understand or don't even try to. I know how life can be and I know how much Scott hunger for and needs love. He thought me gone and dead forever. Why shouldn't he be allowed a second chance at love?  
" Thank you," Scott says warmly. After lunch I excuse myself and leave. I couldn't take their happiness and love anymore. To understand and accept really are two different things. I go to the bench where I sat earlier and a part of me wish I could go back in time to when I was just a woman waiting for the man she loves. But I know that this time it is I who needs to move on. I have to but I don't want to. As Scot said, a part of me will always love him and in time I might be able to forget that love I bear for him so that all I'll have left will be just that; a part and not as it is now; fully and wholly with body, soul and mind. I have sat in thoughts for so long that the sun is setting. The red colours in the sky reminds me of Scott and fearing I'll break down crying in front of everyone I stand to leave. As I turn around I see four people walking away. A white haired woman holding a boy by the hand and a shaded man pushing a baby carriage in front of him while talking to her before leaning over and kissing her softly on the lips. I turn around and walk the other way. My thoughts are occupied with Scott but I feel no anger or hate towards any of them. I can't. As I said; I understand. I can be sorry and so sad that my heart is breaking into a million pieces but I do understand. I think of Scott and the time we had and the time we lost. The more I think of Scott, the more I realise that…..  
He Was The Greatest Man I Never Knew.

**_The End _**


End file.
